Switch device for pin ball games



Oct. 29, 1935. H. G. BREITENSTEIN 2,018,776

SWITCH DEVICE FOR PIN BALL GAMES Filed March 20, 1935 l 10 lo\ 0 L '1. 9 0

Invenic); ErZenZQfireiZ'enaiezjv Patented Oct. 29,- .1935

SWITCH DEVICE FOR PIN BALL GAMES Herbert G. Breitenstein, Chicago, lll., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 20, 1935, Serial No. 12,057

8 Claims.

The invention relates to a circuit making and breaking device designed especially for use in connection with pin ball amusement games.

In these games there is provided a game board sloped slightly from the horizontal and provided with holes to receive balls that are projected over the board. Some games have lights adjacent each hole which are lighted when a ball enters the hole. Further, it the holes receive a ball it is desirable to operatean electrical device, in addition to the light, such for example as a motor for the purpose 01 operating a reward dispensing device, whereby to encourage skill and the playing of the game.

Accordingly, a problem is presented in providing a ball closed switch device for the holes to close circuits to operate both the light and the motor.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved circuit maker for the purpose stated.

Another object is to provide such a circuit maker, which will be simple and inexpensive to produce, and which will further be fool-proof in operation.

Other important objects will appear as the disclosure is iully made.

Briefly, such objects may be achieved by the practicable form of the invention herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, in which one o! the improved circuit maker and breaker devices is associated with the game board under each hole. The circuit closing devices are spring finger arrangements and normally open.,

However, when a ball enters the hole it closes the associated device to close contacts for establishing circuits to the associated lamp and to the 7 motor, all as will later more fully appear.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Figure l is a general plan view of a typical pin ball game with which the switch device is employed; Y

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, central sectional view through the game, taken along the line 2-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction 01 the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal detail sectional view through the game structure, showing one of the holes and associated switch device;

Figure 4 is a detail bottom plan view 01' one 01 the switch devices secured adjacent a hole and to the under side 01 the game board; and,

Figure 5 is a simplified electric diagram, the

switch device again being shown in bottom plan 'aginl igurei.

The game comprises a cabinet it, having a front wall II, and a glass panel l2, closing the top of the cabinet. The cabinet carries a play board l3 sloped slightly from the horizontal, with its low end disposed at the irontwall I I. This play board is formed with a peripheral oval track It for guiding balls emerging from a ball projection passage l5, there being a ball projector l6 at the lower end 01 said passage and mounted as a plunger in the front wall II. The balls pro- 10 means I9, a release panel having ball drop openings 2| formed therein, said panel having an opening 2| for each hole It in the board i3. This panel is shifted in the usual way by a coin released slide 22 carried in the front wall' ll of the cabinet, said slide being adapted to abut a bracket 23 on the panel 20 for this purpose. Said panel 20 is normally pushed by a spring, not shown, toward the front wall I l, as seen in Figure 2.

Balls falling through the holes l8 and openings 2|, when the panel 20 is shifted rearwardly, are

received by a stationary inclined 'ball routing panel 24 carried by the side walls of the cabinet lll.

Thispanel 24 slopes toward the front wall II to lead the released balls to a transverse trough 25 that slopes toward the right hand side wall of the cabinet to cause gravitation of the balls into a groove 26 cut in said wall. A pivoted lii'ter 21 is operable by a plunger 28 to elevate the balls from the trough 25 into the passage IS in a well known manner to make the balls available for play by the projector I6.

Balls rolling down the board l3 and missing the holes iii are received by a spent ball opening 29 formed in the lower end of the board l3. Such balls may fall through the board onto an under chute 30 which returns the balls to the trough 25 for replay.

Balls entering the holes l8 lodge on the improved circuit maker and breaker devices of this no invention, where they remain supported with the balls in visible position and weighting the contacts down, until released, to hold closed circuits that light a light and cause operation of the electric motor. These switch devices are all alike and one of them as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, will now be described in detail.

Adjacent each hole I8 and to the rear thereof, the under side of the board I3 has secured theretoa rectangular non-conductor plate 3| to which is secured four, flat parallel narrow metallic conductor strips 32, 33, 34, and '35. A wire 36 is connected to the strip 32 and leads to a motor 31 appropriately located within the cabinet I8. The two center strips 33, 34 are cross-connected by a single wire 38, which leads to a battery 39 also suitably located inside the cabinet. A wire 48 leads from the fourth strip 35 to a lamp 4 I, which is enclosed in a suitable ornamental housing 42 located on the board I3 below the holes I8. A wire 43 leads from the lamp 4| to the battery, and a wire 44 leads from the motor 31 to the battery.

A depending bracket 45 is secured to the under side of the board- I3, as shown, adjacent each hole I8, said bracket carrying a hinge pin 46, for pivotally mounting a support member 41, which has secured thereto an insulator plate 48. Secured to the under side of the plate 48 are a pair of spaced parallel bars 49 and 58 made of conductor metal and cross-connected at their free ends, at a point below the hole I 8, by an insulator plate 5|.

Each bar 49, 58 is flat and substantially horizontal with its intermediate portion bent down as shown in Figure 3, to form support legs 49' and 58 for normally resting these bars 49, 58 on the ball release panel 28 to prevent pivotal downward movement of the structure about the hinge 46.

The top side of each bar 49, 58 carries a metal contact 52. Between-these two bars 49, 58 are two metal spring bars 53,54, 'each having a lateral, outward extension located over the adjacent bars 49, 58. Each extension carries on its under side a contact 55 respectively engageable with the contacts 52 just mentioned. These spring bars 53, 54 are secured by rivet pins to the top side of the insulator plate 48, and because of their springiness normally are raised to keep the contacts 52, 55 gapped apart. An-insulator block or strip 56 is arranged on and connected between the inner bars 53, 54 at their free ends, as shown. The rivet pins whichconnect the outside bars 49, 58 through the plate 48 serve to establish a metallic conductor connection with short metal strips 51, 58. These strips 51, 58 and the inner spring bars 53, 54 all terminatein a transversely alined series or downwardly and arcuately bent ends forming respectively a wipe connection with each of the respective strips 32, 33, 34 and 35, as shown. The use and operation of the switch is as follows:

The normal open position of the switch is shown in Figure 3, where it will be seen that the circuits between the battery and lamp and between the battery and motor are open since the contacts 55 and 52 are gapped apart. The hingedly mounted bars 49 and 58 are supported by means of their legs 49' and 58 on the slide panel 28. Now, when a ball is played over the board I3 and gravitates into one' of the holes I8, the

said ball lodges on the insulator block or strip 56 simultaneously to weight down both inner spring bars 53, 54 to engage the two contacts 55 on the respective lateral extensions of said bars 53, 54 with the respective two contacts 52 on the top side of the two bars 49 and 58.

Thereupon the circuits are closed to light the lamp and operate the motoncurrent flowing from 1 leasing member is moved to permit the ball to slidable ball releasing panel located below the the battery 39 by means of wire 38, the two strips 33, 34, the spring bars 53, 54, the contacts 55, 52, back through the bars 49, 58, through the rivet pins to the strips 51, 58, to the wires 36, 48 leading respectively to the motor and lamp, and 8 thence'by wires 44 and 43 back to the battery.

In this manner a ball lodging on the switch operates the adjacent lamp, and the motor. Means such as a commutator may be driven from the motor to cut off its operation but the light 10 circuit to the particular hole I8 may remain on to keep the lamp burning. By suitable interconnection of the wiring for all of the holes I8 all lamps may be lighted and the motor may be operated as desired. 1

When all balls have been playedit becomes necessary to release the balls from the holes I8 for replay. This is accomplished by operating the coin release slide 22 to slide the panel 28 rearwardly. When this is done the holes 2| move under the legs of the bars ,49, 58 to remove the support therefrom, whereupon, under the weight of a ball thereon the switch structure under. the hole I8 pivots downwardly about the hinge 46' to cause the ball to roll oh the plate 56'and drop 9 through the hole 2| onto the ball routing panel 24 for return to the trough 25. The legs 49', 58' are so bent as to serve as guides to control the hinging movement of the switch and to guide it back into ball receiving position when the panel 28 is returned to its forward position. In this connection the end of the opening 2| cooperates with the legs 49', 58' in an obvious manner. Of course, the moment the ball leavesthe strip 56 the contacts 52, 55 are gapped apart by the spring bars 53, 54 to open the circuits.

From this disclosure it can now be seen that an improved switch'structure has been provided for causing a playing piece such as a ball in a pin ball game, to make and break circuits for the purposes stated.

By mounting the individual switches directly on the play board I3 instead of on the slide panel 28 a real practical'advantage results in that the switches cannot be warped out of place and become inoperative because the game board is much thicker than the slide panel 28.

It is the intention to cover all such changes and modifications of the preferred example of the structure herein shown which do not in material respects depart from the spirit and-scope of the invention as covered by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit maker and breaker device for pin Q5 ball games having a substantially horizontal game board formed with a vertical hole and having a movable ball releasing member disposed below the board, said device comprising a bar adapted to be hinged to the board and normally supported by the member in horizontal ball receiving position under the hole, a spring contact bar included in the device and carried adjacent the bar, con,- tacts on the two bars adapted to be closed when a ball enters the hole and lodges onthe spring contact bar, said bars being wired in an electric circuit whereby the contacts close the circuit, said bar being adapted to hinge downwardly under the weight of 'the ball when the ball reroll ofi the device to cause the contacts to sepa 70' rate and break'the circuit.

2. A circuit maker and. breaker device for pin ball games having a substantially horizontal game board formed with a vertical hole and having a contact bars adapted to be pivotally connected in board, said device comprising a bar adapted to be hingedly connected to the under side of the board and including a leg adapted to normally rest on the panel to support the bar in substantially a horizontal position under the hole, a spring con- ,tact bar included in the device and operatively associated with the first bar, respective contacts on the two bars adapted to be engaged when a ball enters the hole and lodges on the spring contact bar, said bars being wired in a circuit that becomes closed when the contacts are engaged, said contacts being adapted to separate to open the circuit when the panel is shifted to cause the first bar to hinge downwardly to let the ball roll therefrom.

3. A switch device for use with a game board havinga hole therein to receive a ball, and a movably mounted under panel provided with an opening, said device comprising a contact bar adapted to be pivotally connected to the under side of the board, the bar having an integral leg adapted for normally supporting the bar on the panel against pivotal movement, a second contact bar operatively associated with the first bar and made of spring stock to normally hold it separated from the first bar, said second bar adapted for engaging the first bar when a ball enters the hole and lodges on the second bar to establish a circuit in which both bars arewired, the first bar being adapted for dropping hingedly when thepanel is moved to locate its opening under the leg to release the ball from the second bar and cause separation of the bars to open the circuit. 1

4. A switch device for use with a game board having a hole therein to receive a ball, and a movably mounted under panel provided with an opening, said device comprising a pair of spaced contact bars adapted to be pivotally connected in relation tothe under side of the board, the bars including leg portions adapted for normally supporting said bars in substantially horizontal position on the panel against pivotal movement, a pair oi" spring contact bars included in the device and mounted adjacent the first mentioned contact bars normally separated from engagement with first contact bars, said spring bars carrying a.

plate under the hole to receive a ball entering the hole to engage the spring bars with the first contact bars to establish circuits in which the bars are wired, the first bars adapted for dropping hingedlywhen the panel is moved to locate its opening under the leg portions to release the ball from the plate on'the spring bars and cause separation of the spring bars from the first bars to open thecircuits.

5. A switch device for use with a game board having a hole therein to receive a' ball, and a movably mounted under panel provided with an opening, said device comprising a pair of spaced relation to the under side of the board, the bars including leg portions adapted for normally supporting said bars in substantially horizontal position on the panel against pivotal movement, a pair of spring contact bars included in the device and mounted between the first mentioned contact bars and each having an extension overlying an adjacent first mentioned contact bar and normally gapped apart therefrom, said extensions of the spring contact bars carrying an insulator plate under the hole adapted to receive a ball entering the hole to engage the extensions of the spring bars with the first mentioned bars to establish circuits in which the bars are wired, s the first bars adapted for dropping hingedly when the panel is moved to locate its opening under the leg portions to release the ball from the plate on the extensions and cause separation of the extensions from the first bars to open the circuits. o

6. A switch device for use with a game board having a hole therein to receive a ball, and a movably mounted under panel provided with an opening, said device comprising a plate adapted to be securedv to the under side of the board, a 1| contact bar included in the device and hingedly connected to the plate and normally adapted for resting on thepanel in a substantially horizontal position below the hole, a spring contact bar included in the device and mounted adjacent the Q first bar and normally gapped from the first bar and adapted to receive a ball entering the hole to close the gap and electrically connect the bars, conductor strips mounted on the plate and wired in a circuit, said bars having at all times contact- .5 ing engagement with the strips adjacent the hinged connection, the first bar adapted for dropping hingedly when the panel is moved to locate the opening under the first bar to release the ball from the spring contact bar and cause separation 30 of the bars to open the circuit.

7. A switch device for use with a game board having a hole therein, to receive a ball, and a movably mounted under panel provided with an opening, said device comprising a hingedly a mounted contact bar adapted to be connected to the under side of the board and having a portion supported by the panel to carry the bar in a substantially horizontal position under the hole, and-a complementary contact bar included in the 4. device and operatively associated with thefirst bar and adapted to receive a ball entering said hole to electrically engage the bars which are I wired in a circuit with a lamp and a motor to establhh the circuit, said first bar adapted for 4 dropp 8 hingedly into the opening when the panel is moved to release the ball and open the circuit.

8. A switch device for use with a game board having ahole thereintoreceiveabalLandago movably mounted under-panel provided with an opening. said device comprising a contact bar adapted to be hingedly mounted in relation to the under side of the board, the bar including a leg portion adapted'for normally supporting said bar I in a suhstantialb horizontal position on the pu el against hinging movement, a horizontal spring contact bar included in the device above the first bar and including a lateral extension overlying the first contact bar and normally gapped apart Q therefrom, said extension carrying an insulated plate under the hole and adapted to receive a ball entering the hole to engage the extension with the firstbar to establish a circuit in which bothbarsarewiredthefirstbaradaptedtodrop hingedly when the panel is moved to locate its opening under the leg portion to release the ball from the plate on the extension and cause separation of the bars to open the circuit.

T G. mm. 1. 

